cherry suckin'
by janedoe144
Summary: This has become GCR and Snickers! Catherine convinces Sara to attend the Renaissance festival.
1. Sara's Discovery

Title: Cherry Suckin'

Disclaimer: These guys don't belong to me.

Author's Note: My favorite man loves Renaissance Festivals. He has thigh high leather boots, a sword and a 'beer receptacle' made out of a steer horn. It's hysterical! I love it! Anyway, I can picture Greg getting into the scene too, and maybe dragging Archie along. There is a small Renaissance Festival in Vegas in mid-October so I figured it could be a family outing including Grissom, Catherine, Lindsey and Catherine's sister and family.

Summary: Sara unwittingly discovers some pictures in Catherine's desk. It leads to some GC tales as told by David and Archie.

Rating: PG – 13

Spoiler(s): None, although it takes place before Catherine got the check in Season 4!

"Shit." Sara exclaimed as she raced from the Ladies Room to her locker and rummaged about.

"What is it?" Nick inquired from his seat on the bench where he was putting a final polish on his dress shoes.

"I've got a run in my hose. I don't have another pair here. Damn, I need some nail polish or something."

"Fresh out." Nick smirked.

"I bet Catherine has some in her desk." Sara, oblivious to his attempted humor, rushed out of the locker room and down the hall.

"Hey, we got court in half an hour. You better hurry!" Nick called after her scurrying form.

Sara sat down at Catherine's desk and began searching the drawers. She couldn't believe there was no nail polish to be found. "Last one." She thought desperately. She opened the bottom right drawer. A card flipped out and the note inside flew under the desk. "Shit." She exclaimed as she grabbed the card and scrounged under the desk until she got hold of the note. She laid them on the desk and began quickly searching the drawer. She knocked the top off of a box, finally pulled the box completely out of the drawer, and rummaged frantically. "Ah ha, nail polish. Geez, it's bright pink! Oh, well, desperate times call for desperate measures!" She thought to herself as she hiked up her skirt to apply the polish to the run. Once she was satisfied that the dreadful run was subdued, she replaced the polish, box and put the top back in place. She looked at the card as she began to replace the note. It was an anniversary card. The inscription inside read _"I keep hoping you two will make it legal someday. Love, Nancy."_ Sara knew Nancy was Catherine's sister. "Make it legal?" She wondered what that meant. Curiosity got the better of her and she unfolded the note. It read.

"_Cath,_

_When I got the pictures back from the Renaissance Festival, I couldn't help but think of all the times I've taken pictures of Gil with his cap turned around backward and how adorable you think he is when he does that. I went through my old photos and found these selections. I thought they would make a good "anniversary" gift. Anyway, maybe you can put them at your desks or something. Yeah, I know, wistful thinking! I figured the ones of Gil and Linds should be for you and the ones of you two together should be for Gil._

_Nancy"_

Sara was shocked. She peered at the box in the drawer, removed the lid, and the top layer of tissue paper. A beautiful wooden frame held photos of Gil, with his cap turned backward in each of them, and Lindsey. In the first one, top left, Lindsey was a baby and a much younger looking Gil Grissom was holding her, smiling at the camera. In the second, top right, Lindsey was a toddler, Gil was crouched down, holding her on his knee, and helping her feed a baby goat. They both looked very serious. He had a beard. In the third, bottom left, they were on horseback with Lindsey perched in front of him. Sara thought she must have been about 4 or 5. The last one was obviously recent because Grissom had the beard again. He was sitting on the end of a bench and Lindsey, in full princess costume, was leaning back against him. He had his arms wrapped around her, looking over her shoulder, and they were both grinning.

Sara lifted the frame out of the box, with a growing dread in the pit of her stomach, and gazed at the second frame. It matched the other frame and the photos must have been taken at the same time. The first photo was of Catherine holding baby Lindsey. Grissom was leaned over her peering at the baby who was clutching his finger in her tiny fist. "God, they look like a little family. Where the hell was Eddie?" Sara thought. The second photo was of Gil, with the beard, and Catherine seated at a picnic table. He had his arm wrapped loosely around her waist and was smiling over her shoulder at the camera. The third was of the two of them seated on some rocks by a river. He had on jeans and boots. Sara couldn't believe he had on boots. She had never seen him wear boots! He had his arm around Catherine and his hand was resting somewhat intimately on her thigh. In the last photo, Grissom was seated on the same bench as in the photo with Lindsey. However, in this one, Catherine was sitting on his lap. They were laughing and gazing into one another's eyes.

She dropped the first frame back in the box as if she had been burned, grabbed the card, stuffed the note inside, and tossed it on top of the frames. She stuffed the tissue paper back in place, hurriedly put the lid back on the box, and slammed the drawer shut. As she was getting up from Catherine's chair to leave, Nick poked his head in the door.

"You ready yet?" He asked.

"Yeah. I got the run fixed."

"Thank the Gods." Nick threw up his hands in mock relief. Sara still wasn't amused. "I'll drive." He added. If she hadn't fixed the run to her satisfaction, she would've demanded that they stop along the way. She would've made him go in and purchase new hose for her. In his opinion, purchasing panty hose was slightly lower on the male humiliation list of being sent to fetch any number of other personal items a woman might need. Number One was, of course, tampons! But then again, he considered; she might have changed in the car.

"Fine." Sara tersely replied.

Nick watched Sara as he drove them to the courthouse. His mind was still revolving around her changing her hose in the car and, of what, he might have gotten a peak. He thought she was unusually quiet. She stared out the window, lost in her own thoughts.

She was thinking that anniversary implied at least a year, probably more from the 'someday' in the card. Besides, no one would get an anniversary card for two people who had only been involved for a year or so. "Nope, you'd only do that if it had been more like four or five." She thought logically.

Nick jolted her out of her thoughts with a perky "We're here!"

"Great." Sara responded without enthusiasm.

They made their way into the courtroom and found seats. Sara's mind was busily back on Grissom and Catherine. "No wonder he wouldn't go out with me. I mean he's basically taken. Why didn't he just say so? Why do they hide that they're involved? Geez, I feel like a fool."

Yet, somehow, she didn't think she was nearly as upset as she ought to be. In fact, she was downright intrigued. It just hadn't occurred to her that Catherine would want Grissom and she knew that whatever Catherine wanted, she could get from any man. Then another realization hit her; he would have rejected anyone, so it wasn't just her he had turned down. That made her feel better than she had in a while. That was why she wasn't very upset. Of course, she wouldn't have had to deal with feeling rejected at all if they hadn't been so secretive. She began to jiggle her foot angrily, squirmed in her seat, nibbled at one of her nails, and thought indignantly. "They're having a secret affair, and I'm the one who got hurt. That's just not fair! I don't understand! Neither of them is married. Who is really gonna give a shit if they are sleeping together? It's not like there's some sort of policy against coworkers commingling or anything. Okay, so there'd be a little gossip, but it'd go away." She had taken all of that into consideration before she asked Grissom out. She really wanted to know why they kept it so quiet. So how was she going to find out the answer to that one….

TBC


	2. The Infamous Cherry Suckin' Story

Title: Cherry Suckin' – Chapter 2

Disclaimer: See previous chapter for disclaimers and stuff.

Summary: David and Archie tell their tales.

Rating: PG-13

A week later…

Warrick poked his head in lab where Sara was working. "Hey, Sara, you want to go to breakfast with us? Everybody is going."

"Really? Who is everybody?" She asked, hoping it wouldn't include Catherine and Grissom. She was still pretty much peeved at them.

"Well, not everybody, Me, Nick, David, Greg, and Archie."

"Okay, just let me put this stuff away."

They met at one of their favorite breakfast buffets. Nick and David were at their best and Sara couldn't help but laugh. They had Mimosa's with breakfast and everyone got loose and silly. They laughed a lot, especially when Greg and Archie began a debate over which car was the hottest, the Subaru STI or the Mitsubishi Lancer EVO.

"So why aren't Cath and Gris here?" Nick inquired, during a lull in the conversation.

"Uhmm, I saw them head out early. You guys ever wonder about them? I mean, well, you know, he spends an awful lot of time with her and Lindsey, and it seems like they always know what the other one is thinking and stuff like that." Greg trailed off.

Three people started talking at once. Warrick started with the Grissom just being supportive of Catherine since Eddie's death song and dance, then let it drop as Archie added. "Yeah, I have." "Nope. Not at all." David chimed in with a grin.

"What's up with that smirk, Dave? What do you know that we don't?" Nick leaned forward with a smirk on his face.

David was debating what to say when Warrick spoke up. "Hey, we probably ought to call it a night and get some sleep."

"No way, I want to know Dave's info. Don't you?" Nick said, elbowing Sara.

"Yeah, what do you know that we don't, David?" Sara added, pretty sure she already knew where this was headed, but this was the kind of information she wanted to know. A clue to the mystery!

"Oh, Shit!" Warrick thought.

David, feeling his Mimosa's, decided to rat out the two elder CSI's. "I caught them."

"What? Caught them? Details, man, I wanna hear the details." Nick sputtered. He, Sara, Greg and Archie were all ears at this point.

"Well, I was meeting them at this crime scene." David began. He checked out his audience, when certain they were all enraptured, he continued. "I got a little lost and ended up pulling in on the wrong side of the property. I knew I had the right address but I didn't know where they were, so I started to look for them. It was a full moon so I didn't need a flashlight. I came around the house and saw them at the back of Grissom's Tahoe. I guess they got bored with waiting for me because when I saw them, they were definitely 'making out'."

"Okaaaay, 'making out', exactly what were they doing, Dave?" Nick asked, totally getting off on this story!

"Well, maybe it was a little more than that." David teased, enjoying his role as storyteller.

"Spill it!" Nick demanded.

"I swear, Grissom had his hands in Catherine's pants. There was some total 'ass-grabbin' goin' on.' I couldn't see where Catherine's hands were, but she was pretty into it." David quickly answered. Warrick just groaned and covered his eyes. Sara was, at first, disgusted; but, then she thought about how sexy Grissom was when he was studying a crime scene and she decided it was understandable that Catherine could get caught up in the moment. Archie loved it. Greg was obviously getting a mental image of Grissom with his hands in Catherine's pants and Nick's mouth was hanging open.

"I sort of freaked. I jetted back to the morgue ride and pulled around to where they were. Grissom came around the Tahoe, pointed out the body, gave me some instructions, and they left." David continued.

Archie gauged their response to David's story for a moment then decided to add his own little tale. "I saw him suck a cherry out of her mouth once."

"What?" The rest of the group chaotically chorused together, utterly surprised.

"No way I'm believin' that, Arch, when?" Greg demanded being the first one to recover.

"Yeah, way, at the Renaissance festival. He sucked a cherry right outa her mouth. Don't you remember they were sitting at that picnic table sharing a hot fudge sundae when we saw them?" Archie huffily responded.

"Okay, say I believe you, how come you didn't tell me?" Greg demanded, clearly offended that Archie hadn't shared this awesome information with him.

"Well, I thought it had to be a figment of my imagination. Come on, I mean, think about it, Gruesome Grissom sucking a cherry out of the lovely Madam Willows' mouth? In public no less. I figured nobody would believe that!"

"All right, so why'd he suck a cherry out of her mouth?" Sara interjected as Greg and Archie glared at one another. She was having a little trouble with this mental image herself.

"I don't know." Archie whined. He realized that wasn't going to be enough of an answer as he took in their collective expressions so he began a recount of his memory. "Greg was checking out the chain mail in the blacksmith shop. I was hanging around outside thinkin' about getting some food. I saw them sitting there, and I was like 'Wow, that's Grissom and Catherine here at the Renaissance Festival! That Rocks!' Then she spooned up that cherry and popped it in her mouth. Grissom got this shocked looked and said something to her, I assume to protest that she had eaten it. She said something back, probably daring him to come take it or something. So then she stuck that cherry between her teeth and he leaned over, sorta kissed her and sucked it right out of her mouth. He ate it with the biggest shit-eating grin on his face I have ever seen."

"Man!" Nick said as he mentally conjured an image of the two of them and the now infamous cherry. Then his mind flashed to an image of Sara with a cherry between her teeth, teasing him to come and get it. "Whoa, down boy!" He chided himself.

"How 'bout them Mets." David said, feeling the conversation needed to be changed.

"Yeah, maybe they'll make the World Series next year." Warrick responded rather absently. He was thinking that he was definitely going to have fun teasing Cath about this little story.

"Man, I'm bushed." Nick rejoined.

"Yeah, we better call it a night." Sara added. With that, they paid the tab and headed to their homes for a good day's rest.

TBC


	3. Warrick teases Catherine

Title: Cherry Suckin' – Chapter 3

Author's Note: See previous chapter for disclaimers and stuff.

Summary: Warrick teases Catherine.

Rating: PG-13

Two nights later, the CSIs were gathered in the breakroom, awaiting their boss. Grissom entered and without preamble launched into assignments. "Warrick and Catherine, db at the Starlight Motor Inn." He handed a slip to Catherine.

"Classy joint." She commented, as she studied the paper then handed it to Warrick.

"Nick and Sara, db at the Tangiers." He handed the second slip to Sara.

"What're you up to tonight, boss?" Nick inquired. He and Warrick exchanged wicked little grins. They were both thinking of the 'infamous cherry-sucking story' Archie had shared.

"Paperwork." Grissom grumpily replied. He exited the room immediately and headed for his office.

"Well, he's in a mood. I wonder who pissed in his Post Toasties." Sara said, rather absently. She had been watching Grissom's mouth the whole time thinking he would have to apply some serious vacuum to get a cherry out of her mouth! There was no way he would get off with a 'sorta' kiss. Then she chided herself. "I need to stop thinking about him like that."

"I would guess the Sheriff. You ready?" Catherine eyed Warrick. She had caught the little exchange between he and Nick.

"Yep, I'll drive." Warrick replied with a toothy grin at Catherine.

As they were headed to the Tahoe, Catherine noticed Warrick still grinning. "What's up? You look like the cat that ate the canary."

"So, I heard Gris sucked a cherry out of your mouth."

"What?" Catherine stopped walking and stared at him in dumbfounded amazement.

"A little bird told me that Grissom sucked a cherry out of your mouth, in public." Warrick repeated, enjoying the shocked look on her face.

"Who? When?"

"What, Where and How come next! I believe I know those, Cherry, Renaissance Festival and mouth-to-mouth." Warrick teased. He resumed his journey to the Tahoe.

Grissom sucking a cherry out of her mouth, Catherine drew a complete blank. She stared at Warrick's retreating form, realized he was teasing her, and hurried after him. She jumped in the front seat just as Warrick started the Tahoe.

"Okay, you've had your fun. What's this about and who told you?"

"I heard you two were spotted at the Renaissance Festival sharing a hot fudge sundae. You started to eat the cherry and Grissom sucked it out of your mouth. Why didn't you guys just get two cherries?" Warrick smirked at her, enjoying her startled look.

It came back to her. "We did. He loves Maraschino cherries. He paid thirty cents extra for a second one. That was his cherry. I ate mine. Then, I decided to tease him so I scooped up his cherry. I thought he would just take it with his fingers. I didn't expect him to kiss me. He did not _suck_ it out of my mouth! He has a, ah, a dexterous tongue!" As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she mentally kicked herself for her verbal gaff. "Oh, that was bad. I'll never hear the end of this."

Warrick collapsed into laughter on the other side of the Tahoe. Once he could speak again, he wiped his eyes and said. "Nope, you won't." He put the Tahoe in gear and headed for the Starlight Motor Inn. He periodically snickered.

She thought furiously. They saw Greg and Archie there. It had to be Archie because there was no way Greg would have seen that and not done something to let her know he saw them. He would've had a jar of Maraschino cherries on display in the lab the next time they were at work or something to that effect.

"Archie saw us." Catherine deduced. "Who else knows?" She questioned.

"Oh, just about everybody; Me, Nick, Sara, David, Greg and Archie. That story came out at a breakfast a couple of days ago. David had an interesting story too. Something along the lines of catching you two making out at a crime scene."

Catherine was horrified. She couldn't think of a time that David had 'caught' them. It had to have been quite a while ago. She and Gil had their phases when they just couldn't keep their hands off one another, especially when they were alone. Early on, after one too many close calls, they agreed that it was best for them to not work together during those times.

Along the same lines, Gil always worked with her when it was 'that time of the month' because she tended to turn into such a bitch with anybody but him. He was always doing little things for her like massaging her lower back and suggesting breaks which usually involved milk and gourmet chocolate chip cookies. He definitely made sure she didn't work with Sara during that time because he had read some study about women who work together start menstruating at the same time. She smiled as she remembered his 'confession' as to why he wouldn't team her with Sara during that time.

She had been upset with him when he got hardly any sleep for three days. He had a lot of paperwork due, he didn't need to be in the field with her and Sara had nothing to do. She suggested working with Sara because "Hey, Sara will understand cramps."

"No way." He firmly replied; then, with the hope of deflecting the conversation, he added. "Sara has already worked too much overtime this month." She finally wheedled the real reason out of him. She understood immediately that he had a complete, unreasonable fear that the two of them would end up beating the crap out of each other at a crime scene because of hormones. It was his worst nightmare as a supervisor.

As he pulled up to the Starlight Motor Inn, Warrick watched Catherine. She hadn't made any reply to his last revelation, although she did have a little smile on her face. "Penny for your thoughts." He offered.

"Oh, I was just thinking that practically everybody knows about us now. Maybe I ought to just marry him. It would make him happy."

"Wouldn't it make you happy?" Warrick was suddenly concerned, he had always thought Cath loved Grissom. This didn't sound good.

Catherine realized how her remark sounded. "Yes, God, yes, I want to marry him. I love him. I want us to live a normal life. It would be so good for Lindsey. She needs the stability. God knows she hasn't had that in her life so far. She adores him. With Eddie gone, he has just stepped right in to the father role. Gil worked with her everyday this summer at softball. I know she didn't really want to play. She insisted on it because Eddie would have wanted her to play. Eddie hit her with a ball once when she was little and she has always been afraid of the ball. Gil got her over that; she was catching that ball like a pro at her last game. It's just, I'm still afraid of payback for Sam. The last thing I want to do is drag Gil down with me. I don't think he could get over having his career destroyed because of me, no matter what he says."

"Cath, you can't live in fear of the future. What happened to that strong woman who says "Never look back, Never Regret"?" Warrick looked at her intensely with obvious concern.

"That's just bravado. I'm not so strong when comes to the ones I love. I could take me losing my career. I couldn't bear it if he did too. I can't do that to him." Catherine said with tears in her eyes.

"You've gotten through so much, together. If Gris says you're worth his career, then you ought to know how much he loves you. He's not a stupid man. He thinks things through. He probably has a plan. You should marry him." Warrick could tell he wasn't getting through to her so he decided to take a different direction. "What would happen to Lindsey if you died tonight? Who do you want to take of her? Your sister, who can't really afford another child, foster homes or Grissom? Think about it, Catherine. It would be best for both of them. Right now, he wouldn't stand a chance of getting custody of her. At the most, he's just your boyfriend. If you marry him and he adopts her, well, he would get her. You know that." Warrick encouraged. He knew he had given her something to think about.

She sighed. "We've got work to do. I'll discuss it with Gil, Okay?"

"Okay, let's go." Warrick replied, exiting the Tahoe. He felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. He loved Lindsey too. Lindsey was sort of their little mascot, being the only child amongst all of them. Catherine had confided Lindsey's problems to him after Eddie's death. He had seen the change in her over the past few months and he knew it was Grissom's presence that made that change. He hadn't planned on a little light-hearted teasing to turn into a plea for two of the people he cared the most about to get their act together. He decided to visit his mother after shift to tell her he loved her.

TBC


	4. pictures

Title: Cherry Suckin' – Chapter 4

Author's Note: See previous chapter for disclaimers and stuff.

Summary: Catherine gives Gil his pictures.

Rating: PG-13

Catherine was processing the blood spatter evidence into her computer program. She had most of the data entered; room measurement and layout, position of the body, and measurements for size and location of the spatter. She was tweaking the program by entering spatter patterns from the crime scene photos. She paid particular attention to the shape and size of the individual blood drops, which landed around each spatter since it gave an indication of direction and velocity of the blood. This, in turn, could be related back to the force applied. Once they were certain of a murder weapon, it could help determine size and strength of the suspect. She would probably have more information to enter later, from the autopsy.

She was looking over her field notes and sketches when Grissom sidled into her space. "Hey." She said without looking up. He leaned over her shoulder to observe her entries.

"Hey." He replied, nuzzling her ear. He appeared to be in a much better mood than at the start of shift.

"Did you get a lot accomplished?"

"Yeah, I did. I just put a two foot pile of folders on Judy's desk."

"Umm, that's good. Hey, I have something for you."

"What's up? Something with your case?" He asked, hopeful of something to work his mind on besides paperwork and politics.

"Ah, no. Personal stuff." She replied, turning to watch his expression.

"Is something wrong with Lindsey?" He asked slightly alarmed.

"No. Us, personal stuff."

"Good or Bad?" He carefully asked, his face becoming masked.

"Well, it depends on your perspective." She answered. "Look, just come by my desk in fifteen minutes. Okay?"

"Okay." He wandered off, wondering what 'personal stuff' she would have at her desk for him.

Catherine saved her program, boxed up the pictures and notes and logged them into evidence. She then made her way to her desk. She opened the bottom right drawer and removed the box it contained. She looked for the card that came with it, certain she had left it on top of the box. She shrugged it off; thinking it was in the drawer somewhere. It had been a couple of months since she put it in there. She opened the box to pull out the frames and found the card under the tissue paper. 'Now, I know I didn't leave that card in the box.' She thought. Grissom entered the room and disrupted her thoughts.

"So, what do you have for me?" He asked.

"Nancy gave us a little 'anniversary gift'. I thought I should share it with you."

"I'm not sure if I should be hurt or afraid." He stated; their 'anniversary' was over two months ago.

"Well, I didn't give it to you because I didn't know how you would feel. But, in light of recent events, I figured I might as well give it to you."

"Recent events?" He questioned.

"Well, apparently, the 'kids' and some of our 'adoptees' all went to breakfast together the other day. They had a few drinks with it and told some stories, on you and me." She looked at him pointedly.

"What stories?"

"Warrick called one the 'infamous cherry suckin' story'. He teased me mercilessly about it. And, apparently David saw us at a crime scene. Um, foolin' around." She couldn't bring herself to tell him David said he had his hands down her pants. She recalled a time when he stayed cloistered in his office, only talking to his bugs, for an entire week when a story circulated the lab about him, a certain lab tech and lime jello.

"Cherry sucking? Fooling around?" He looked mortified.

"Anyway, Nancy had these made up for us. Now that pretty much everybody knows…" She trailed off and placed the two sets of framed photographs before him.

He studied the pictures for a moment, a fond smile forming on his lips as he remembered each of the scenes. The first photos brought back painful memories, a party for Catherine, Eddie and new baby Lindsey. Eddie had been too hungover to attend. Grissom had been pleased to have his two favorite girls to himself, more or less. Afterall, he'd been the one to take Catherine to the hospital when she went into labor and Eddie was no where to be found. He'd been the first person to hold Lindsey. The hospital staff had assumed he was Mr. Willows and he hadn't bothered to correct them. A couple of months later, he hadn't been able to take her newfound happiness in her marriage and baby any longer, and had taken a leave of absence to work on his doctorate at Berkeley. Slightly over a year later, a mutual friend had phoned him. Eddie was abusing Catherine again. He had worked out finishing his research at the Vegas Body Farm he had helped establish and moved back as soon as possible. He and his major professor had taken a lot of heat over it. Thus, he finished his doctorate in Entomology but there was a fair amount of bitterness on his part, so he seldom claimed the auspices of his PhD. The second set had been at a company picnic for Nancy's husband's firm some six months and multiple times of Catherine seeking refuge at his townhouse with Lindsey after his return. Whatever Eddie had been up to that day didn't matter because he had them to himself. The third set was after the separation, a camping trip in Colorado. He and Catherine had established a newfound intimacy to their relationship. In the time intervening, he told himself over and over that it wasn't just sex; it was true love. The last set was mid-October of this year, at the Renaissance Festival. Lindsey had begged to go and he had convinced Catherine they should.

"Sweet Nancy." He thought, "She's always on my side."

TBC


	5. Convincing Sara

Title: Cherry Suckin' – Chapter 5

Author's Note: See previous chapter for disclaimers and stuff.

Summary: Catherine convinces Sara to attend the Renaissance festival.

Rating: PG-13

Several months later……………………

"Catherine, you gotta help me!" Nick Stokes desperately pled as he entered the break room.

"What's the matter?" Catherine asked after swallowing a spoonful of yogurt.

"Sara says she won't go to the Renaissance festival much less get a costume! I've worked on my costume all month and I really want her to go."

"It's two days away, Nick!" Catherine exclaimed. She pitched the last of her yogurt in the trash and glared at him. "You said you had it under control and she'd go. What happened?"

"I screwed it up. I wanted her to wear one of those sexy outfits, you know, like a wench thing." Nick unconsciously cupped his hands before his chest and sort of bounced them up and down.

"Men and breasts!" Catherine thought. "They just can't help themselves – it's all they think about." She realized Nick had continued his anguished ramble while pacing the break room.

"She hated it – didn't like having her breasts showing. I didn't like anything she picked – too prudish. Not to mention – hot! As in temperature, I mean, this is a desert, you know. Man, it was such a disaster!" Nick finally slumped into the chair beside her.

"First fight, huh?" Catherine had suspected something was going on between the two of them ever since The Great Goat Caper.

"Yeah," Nick sheepishly admitted then earnestly asked. "So, can you do something?"

"I'll try." Catherine chewed on a fingernail. They had ten minutes before assignments and there were no new cases. She went to Grissom's office. He was scouring the Fishboard files, trying to decide which cold cases they might work on since it had been a decidedly slow week and they were caught up for a change.

"Hey! Anything come in?" Catherine asked, sauntering in and leaning over his desk to allow him a generous view of cleavage.

"No, what's up?" Grissom glanced up, concentration furrowing his features until he discovered he was at direct eye level with Catherine's finest accoutrements.

"Nick and I need a favor." She purred, noting that her ploy was working quite well. She quickly filled him on the problem.

"Well, we're not really busy," he began. Catherine straightened up and he found he could finally tear his eyes away from her.

"I promise it won't take all that long."

Catherine located the phone book and looked up the number of her favorite costume rental store. After a quick call, to find out they were open until midnight, she explained her plan. Grissom reluctantly agreed.

A few minutes later…………..

"Catherine and Sara, you have a 'disturbance' at 128 Wilcox. The rest of us are going to the Fishboard." He quickly assigned Nick and Warrick cases, told them what he had chosen and fled the room before Sara could object.

"A 'disturbance'?" Sara asked, perplexed. She glanced around the room to see if any one else found that term disconcerting. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Who cares? Let's just get going. I've looked at enough old cases this week." Catherine replied.

-------------------------------------------

"Hmm, 'The Costume Emporium'" Sara mused. "Wonder what this is about? I sure don't see any signs of a disturbance."

"Well, let's go in and ask." Catherine jumped out of the Denali.

"Ms Willows, what a pleasure!" Donald Johnson, the dapper proprietor of The Costume Emporium greeted. "How may I help you this fine evening?"

"We had a call that there was a 'disturbance' here." Sara interjected with a suspicious frown.

"Disturbance?" Mr. Johnson questioned. "Oh, Dear, I don't believe so."

"Well, that's interesting." Catherine winked at Johnson before turning to her companion. "So Sara, what are you wearing to the Renaissance festival?"

"I don't have anything. I don't think I'm going." Sara stammered, taken by surprise. "Besides, if there isn't a case here, we ought to get back."

"Oh, come on, you've got to go." Catherine insisted. "Everybody is going and Ronnie has the whole lab abuzz with the hints about his costume." Catherine leaned over and conspiratorially whispered in Sara's ear. "Claims it gets him laid every year! Don't you want to see it?"

"I'm just not comfortable wearing anything from back then," Sara hesitantly began. She would rather walk on burning coals than tell Catherine that she didn't like having her boobs hanging out there for every man around to ogle.

"Well, since we're already here, let's just take a look." Catherine linked her arm through Sara's and urged her deeper into the store. "You know, I think you would look great in something like the Princess wore in Braveheart."

"We have something very similar." Mr. Johnson offered stepping forward to take both Sara's hands in his. He looked her over with a discerning eye and exclaimed. "Yes, you would most certainly look magnificent!" He hurried off to locate the costume calling back over his shoulder. "It's just over here!"

"Catherine," Sara began.

"What's it going to hurt?" Catherine asked then cajoled. "Didn't you ever go to the mall with some friends and try on clothes you never intended to purchase?"

"No."

"Just try it on!" Catherine demanded.

"Oh, all right." Sara acquiesced.

A few minutes later Sara crept out of the dressing room. The gown of flowing material was off-white with velvet lilac inserts accentuating her figure.

"A vision!" Mr. Johnson clapped his hands in appreciation. "If you'll just allow me, I'll adjust your belt." Before she could protest, he stepped forward, loosened several of the links of the gold metal belt and draped it to follow her natural waistline then reattached them to the disc in the front.

"Won't it fall off?" Sara asked.

"No, no." Mr. Johnson assured. "The disc is just heavy enough to place tension on the links and hold it in place without causing the wearer any discomfort."

"Sara, you look great!" Catherine complemented.

"Really? I feel kinda stupid."

"I believe, this would be the appropriate headdress for the time period." Mr. Johnson offered a tiara with a veil attached and wilted under Sara's glare. "You just wrap it so." He explained, while he indicated wrapping the ends around her neck and draping them down her back. Sara stared at him as if he'd grown a second head.

"I don't think so." Catherine stated and shook her head at him. "I think a single braid would do nicely."

"Oh, of course," Mr. Johnson swiftly agreed then added. "You might interweave some ribbon – that would be a lovely effect."

"Yeah," Catherine dubiously answered then brightly asked Sara. "So, what do you think?"

"Well, it is nice," Sara stared at her reflection in the mirror.

"Nick will love it." Catherine coaxed.

"Okay," Sara consented. "But, you have to help me get this right when we go."

"She'll take it!" Catherine dazzled Mr. Johnson with her best smile.

TBC


End file.
